James Franco too busy for General Hospital

James Franco is surprised to hear he’s set to return to U.S. daytime soap General Hospital later this year – because he has no room in his schedule to shoot the TV show.

The 127 Hours star landed a guest role on the longrunning series in 2009, starring as a serial killer named Robert ‘Franco’ Frank.

He has reprised the murderous part several times ever since, and producers this week revealed he was due to make another return in the coming months.

Franco insists he will be heading back to General Hospital at some point in the future – but it won’t be in September, when he’s reportedly due on the Los Angeles set.

He tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood, “I will be back to General Hospital, but I’m filming a movie about the Wizard of Oz in Detroit right now. I haven’t filmed any new episodes for General Hospital.

“I don’t know if they think I’m going to fly out on a weekend and shoot something, but I don’t see it fitting into my schedule anytime soon. I’ll go back, but they said like September 20 or something. I have no idea what they’re talking about. I don’t know when I’m going back.”

Franco has a challenge on his hands fitting in all of his extra curricular activities and interests as it is – he is also working on a series of art projects and is enrolled in university courses at two of America’s top schools.